On October 21, 2025, Japan entered a new chapter in its political history as Sanae Takaichi was elected by the Diet (Japan’s Parliament) to become the country’s first female prime minister. Her rise to the top opens the door to new symbolism in a nation long dominated by male leadership yet it also raises important questions about gender, ideology, and the future of Japanese politics.
Breaking the Glass Ceiling
Takaichi, aged 64, has built a three-decade career as a member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), including roles as minister for internal affairs and communications, and economic security. On October 4, 2025, she became the first woman ever elected leader of the LDP the party that has dominated Japanese politics for most of the post-war era.
Her election to party leadership set the stage for her to become prime minister, given the LDP’s position in the lower house of the Diet. That she achieved this feat in a political environment where Japan ranks low on gender equality makes the milestone all the more notable.
In the 2025 Global Gender Gap Index, Japan was ranked 118th of 148 countries for political empowerment of women. In her own words, while running, she declared: “My goal is to become the Iron Lady,” referencing Margaret Thatcher, under whom she modeled some of her political style.
The Coalition, the Vote, the First
Takaichi’s path to premiership was not straightforward. The LDP, after years in dominant control, lost its outright majority in both houses of the Diet. To secure the prime minister’s vote, the LDP signed a last-minute coalition agreement with the right-wing Japan Innovation Party (Ishin no Kai) on October 20.
On October 21, Takaichi won 237 votes in the lower house (which consists of 465 seats) and prevailed over the opposition candidate. This confirmed her position as Japan’s first female prime minister and the first woman to lead the LDP.
Her political stance, conservative and hawkish
Despite the breakthrough in gender representation, Takaichi’s politics are firmly on the conservative end of the spectrum. She is a close protégé of the late Shinzo Abe and has publicly admired Thatcher’s strongman style.
She is known for supporting constitutional revision to strengthen Japan’s military role, tightening immigration policies, and maintaining traditional views on the imperial succession (preferring male‐only imperial heirs) and marriage (opposing separate surnames for married couples and same-sex marriage).
Her agenda also signals a return to “Abenomics”-style economic policies: aggressive government spending, monetary easing, and structural reform. Some analysts caution that this could ruffle markets, given Japan’s high debt burden and demographic challenges.
Significance and challenges ahead
Takaichi’s appointment matters for many reasons. Symbolically, it cracks one of the highest glass ceilings in Japanese politics. It demonstrates that women can achieve the top office, even in a society where parliamentary representation and executive posts for women have been limited. Yet the context and her profile also reflect the complexities of representation.
While a woman has become prime minister, her platform does not centre on gender equality in a progressive sense. Critics argue that her rise exemplifies a paradox, a woman ascends within the deeply conservative structure of the LDP but as part of an agenda that may not promote more egalitarian gender reform.
On the governance side, Takaichi inherits considerable challenges, Japan’s economy remains sluggish, inflation is increasing, birth rates are low, and geopolitical tensions with China and Korea persist. Her minority coalition means she will need cross‐party cooperation to pass major legislation something that is not guaranteed in a fragmented parliamentary field.
Looking ahead
The first few months of Takaichi’s premiership will be closely watched. Will she deepen Japan’s role on the world stage, strengthen defence links (especially with the U.S.), and deliver on economic reform? Or will the fragility of her coalition and the scale of the structural problems limit her impact?
Equally important: Will her historic appointment lead to a broader transformation in gender politics in Japan, or will it remain a symbolic “first” without follow-through in policy? The answers will determine whether this moment is a turning point or simply an anomaly.
